Dear WOWEB user

The Year Behind Us

2016 presented one of the most difficult trading environments of my career. When I expressed this to the non–executive directors at the final WOW board meeting for the year, there were mutterings of agreement.

Who Owns Whom has, however, held its own. The subscriber renewal rate remains at over 97% for the eighth consecutive year and ten new clients were added to our prestigious portfolio. I am also very pleased to report that we grew the staff complement by two people at our Port Elizabeth office and by one in Johannesburg.

Data Feeds, KYC and FICA

The WOW industry report file now spans 332 industries across Africa, profiles 15,550 companies and includes an ownership file that exceeds 180,000 company names. The WOW data feed offering has been integrated into KYC strategies by a number of clients to meet FICA requirements.

Please be in touch if that is of interest.

Transparency Rating

An analysis of the recently introduced transparency ratings on WOWEB produced some interesting results which were published in the Business Day. Click here to read it.

The Year Ahead

Who Owns Whom congratulates and thanks those patriotic South Africans in the state economic cluster and the private sector for their combined efforts to avoid a ratings downgrade and this co-operation augurs well for an improved 2017.

We are also most grateful to our users for their prolific usage of WOWEB as well as the insightful feedback which has guided product development. We shall continue to listen carefully to all input from users in the coming year.

See the latest published reports and have a safe and happy holiday season.

Sincerely
Andrew McGregor

NEW REPORTS

The Printing Industry in South Africa

In recent years fundamental changes have swept through the industry, with digital printing technologies emerging as mainstream processes at the expense of conventional analogue printing. As far-reaching technological advances, including 3D printing, disrupt the traditional print landscape, some local printers have had to reposition themselves in the market in order to remain relevant. Some sectors of the local industry are becoming more vertically integrated, with processes that would have been outsourced in the past increasingly being performed in-house.

Real Estate Activities in South Africa

The commercial property sector is confronted by numerous problems: the contraction of the economy, on both a national and international level; the contraction of rental growth numbers as well as unsecured lending, particularly in the retail sector, which is placing significant stress on the economy; and the skills deficit in the sector. At the same time, industry bodies and government realise the importance of creating an attractive and inviting investment environment for local and international investors.READ MORE

Telecommunications Industry in Kenya

In the Kenyan communications sector the sole fixed-line provider is Telkom Kenya, the semi-privatised national operator, and the mobile arena is dominated by Safaricom with a market share of 65.6%. Industry commentators blame Safaricom’s market dominance for the exit of India’s Essar in 2014 and France's Orange which sold its Kenyan operation in 2015. In an effort to gain market share all current role players have invested in and control some level of network infrastructure.

The Beverages Industry in Ethiopia

With a population of more than 102 million people, Ethiopia is the second most populous country in Africa and represents a largely untapped consumer market. There is growing demand for carbonated soft drinks, as well as bottled water, and although the majority of Ethiopians still drink home brewed beer, branded alcoholic beverages are becoming increasingly popular amongst upwardly mobile members of society. During the past five years foreign companies have made substantial investments in the Ethiopian beverages industry and several manufacturers have expanded their installed capacity in an effort to meet growing demand.READ MORE

The Minibus Taxi and Bus Services Industry in South Africa

Statistics indicate that between 70% and 80 % of South Africa’s population is totally dependent on public transport for its mobility needs and the most popular choice, the minibus taxi, has an annual turnover of between R60bn and R90bn. Taxi association SANTACO estimates that within this informal, unregulated sector there are 150,000 minibus taxi owners, 300,000 drivers, 100,000 rank marshals, 100,000 car washers and 150,000 informal traders at taxi ranks. In the bus services industry 19,000 buses provide 912 million passenger trips per annum while travelling an estimated 1.4 billion kilometres. This section of the industry provides direct employment to about 34,200 people throughout the country..READ MORE